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In case it's of use to anyone else, here's the Gosu painting guide I've prepared (color-matched to the Blu-ray masters): No, I've gotta keep those in reserve... for the Blueberry Space Crab.

Fascinating, how Google Translate interprets タンポ印刷 (tampography) as "tampo," "dandruff" or "tampon printing" (!), all within the same paragraph...

The postman's visit left me feeling pretty peachy today! I wish I could've afforded a third, but Arcadia's 1:3000 "Premium Finish" SDF-1 just set me back $500...

Curiosity has motivated many of my model purchases of late... It's precisely because sites like yours and CollectionDX don't cover models -- and because Japanese modelers always post such tiny pictures! -- that I felt a need to provide this information online. Some of these kits are easy, and some are difficult; some are surprisingly accurate, while others aren't; some are almost up to modern standards, while others are crap even by archaic '80s standards. I figure fans oughta know which-is-which. If there are any details in these reviews I haven't covered, feel free to ask. Next up: Imai's 1:15 VR-038L "Bartley" kit has some misleading artwork on the package, representing Houquet (NOT "Fuke") wielding her distinctive cannon in a dynamic action pose the figure is totally incapable of achieving, with a smaller image of the bike mode the figure is also totally incapable of achieving. Since 1:15 is the scale the MegaHouse figures employed, I figured she could fit right in with the boys... ...since MegaHouse neglected to include a Bartley figure in their "Variable Action" line. So what's in the box? About 75 parts total, which is less than half the parts count of Imai's 1:12 scale kits. Since this kit is considerably smaller and is fixed-form, it's much easier to put together; the initial rough assembly you see here only took a couple of hours. The figure is articulated about as well as could be expected for its age, but badly needs elbow, knee, and thigh rotation... Nonetheless, even the stock figure is capable of some fairly feminine poses, thanks to its lightweight construction (and a great deal of patience!). Unfortunately, the proportions are considerably less feminine. One detail came as a real surprise, however: The front and back tires have distinctly different tread patterns! I've never seen that on any other Mospeada toy or model kit. Anyway, how does she look with the MegaHouse boys? Pretty damned awful, I'm sorry to say. She's too tall, too fat, and too masculine -- almost as if it were Jim wearing Houquet's ride armor -- and it's gonna take a lot of customization to make her look like the lithe teenager she's supposed to be. Oh, and while Imai saw fit to include her targeting scope, they clearly forgot something: There's no weapon included in the kit! Fail, Imai. FAIL.

On the contrary, you've confirmed my initial assumption; those model kit parts are definitely too small for the Beagle frame. Thanks for re-posting the pics, though. Actually, given Yoshitaka Amano's impossibly skinny transvestite Yellow Belmont, I'd say the proportions aren't inhuman enough. But yeah, it definitely needs work. By the power of Grayskull! The weathering's a little over-the-top, but proportions and detailing are top-notch. Glorious. Kinda makes you wonder how Kids Logic managed to frakk up their 1:4 statue so badly, eh?

Oh, we've known about Stig for years... Tatsunoko was actually really into European names back then. Look at the cast of Southern Cross, for example: Jeanne Fránçaix, Louis Ducasse, Claude Leon, Marie Angel, Charles de l'etoile (French) Lana Isavia (Scandinavian) Seifriet Weiße (German) Andrzej Sławski (Polish) The only American name among the principals is Bowie Emerson... and he's named after a knife.

So, while we wait for information on new merchandise, how about a look at a classic Mospeada model kit? Imai's 1:12 variable-type [sic] VR-041H "BLOWSPERIOR" comes in a surprisingly large box, adorned with the usual gorgeous paintings and bullshit English text -- What? You didn't realize "Blowsperior" was a mistake? Seriously? Well, it should come as no surprise that Shinji Aramaki is a vintage motorcycle enthusiast, and that he named Yellow's specialized ride armor after a high-end line of British motorcycles designed by George Brough. The "Brough Superior" was the first sports bike, and Brough Superior motorcycles are still prized by collectors to this day. It galls me that, after three and-a-half decades of advancement in the field of information technology, fans around the world continue to refer to the VR-041H as a "blowsuperior," years after we've learned "Stick" is actually Stig (a Scandinavian name) and "Fuke Eroze" is supposed to be Hoquet et Rose (a French name). Tatsunoko marketing execs in 1983 were only concerned with the Japanese market, and had no Internet access; you have no such excuses, so knock it off. It's Brough, not "blow." Got it? Good. Anyway, despite the wide variety of Mospeada toys produced over the last 35 years, this vintage kit remains the most accurate rendition of the Brough Superior released (since Beagle folded before putting their version into production). Let's take a look inside the box, shall we? There are numerous parts on multiple sprues (over 150 parts, all told), including real rubber tires, die-cast metal joints, screws and springs. Since it's designed to be transformable, there are a lot of complex moving parts to assemble. Another mistake on the packaging is where it says "simplified construction for easy assembly," 'cause it's not. The instructions are sometimes inadequate (especially if you can't read Japanese!), making for a difficult build, even for someone with considerable modeling experience. In some cases, you've just gotta muddle your way through and figure it out as best you can. There are points in the instruction manual where Mospeada characters provide advice, but it's not particularly helpful: For example, Hoquet's word balloon says "Be careful not to lose those tiny parts." Good advice, sure, but not very informative. Once you get it together, though, it really looks the part. The figure and bike are both well-proportioned (look at the size of those tires!), but articulation is somewhat limiting. There's no elbow or thigh swivel -- just a rather restrictive hinge -- making it difficult to get a good riding pose, and no up-or-down movement for the head, either. Before I complete any of the subassemblies properly, I'll definitely be adding additional ball joints to bring the articulation up to modern standards. It's not easy, but you can get the ride armor to stand unassisted if you find the right pose. It's back-heavy, of course (like any Mospeada ride-armor), but not inordinately so. Forgive the crude assembly; I'm just figuring out how everything fits together, and which parts will need painting first. At 1:12 scale, it sits right between the 1:15 Megahouse toys (R) and the 1:10 Beagle (L). I was hoping for parts a little bigger -- to kit-bash a custom Beagle Brough Superior -- but I just don't think the scales are compatible. The boots would definitely be an improvement over those dainty Beagle legs, however! It's important to remember that this isn't a toy, and you have to be really gentle with some of the joints. It's designed to be transformable, but given the fragility and the potential for paint rub, I'd advise against transforming it once it's completed. You should probably decide what mode you want to display it in before you build it, and keep it that way. Of course, having said that, I'm gonna have a hard time deciding which mode I prefer...! I managed to acquire this kit for about $30 USD shipped -- twice its original retail value, sure, but still a steal for such a large and complex model. If you're an experienced modeler -- and you can find it for a decent price -- I highly recommend getting one. It's gonna look awesome once I'm done with it.

Not sure what the difference is between these two kits, but I have one to photograph: And, while this thread seems concerned exclusively with unlicensed garage kits, I do also have some Imai vintage kits (in various states of completion)... ...if anyone's interested, that is.

Yeah, I get that a lot. My pictures are "too clean." I bought two HM-R Defenders -- one just for the parts -- which makes my Tomahawk an expensive custom. I'm sure you can relate.

Yes, the Baby Crab. I'm very eager for that one myself.

No, I already tried that. The 1:100 Phalanx kit is properly-proportioned to begin with, so the larger HMR legs don't suit it. It only works for the 1:100 Tomahawk because of its disproportionally larger torso, which made the stock legs appear too small; the stock Phalanx model, on the other hand, looks better as-is. Oh, and I think we can definitively state HM-R is NOT 1:100 scale.

No, that was last month. I suspect the Garmo's getting reissued next. As "fanon" ideas go, I like this one.

The Wave and Imai 1:72 kits are almost identical in size, as they rely on the same official stats to determine dimensions: So they're both accurately 1:72 scale, technically. They're just not realistically 1:72 scale, that's the problem. Now, if you want your (realistically-scaled) 1:48 Pinky Space Crab to look appropriately-scaled to any of the (so-called) 1:48 Legioss kits or toys available, might I suggest building your Pinky posed in flight mode...? Minor scale inconsistencies are always easier to justify when taking relative distance into account, like with a display of this nature. Unfortunately, I fear I'll have to do the same with my upcoming "King Crab" builds, which will require larger and more robust stands to support their significantly greater weight...

While I assume your question is rhetorical, I have conducted market research that may lead to an answer... Search Google for 機甲創世記モスピーダ (Kikō Sōseiki Mosupīda), and you get about 217,000 hits. Search Google for 超時空要塞マクロス (Chōjikū Yōsai Makurosu), and you get about 1,700,000 hits. That's about 8 times more interest than in Mospeada. HM-R stuff is overwhelmingly Macross-based, since that's what sells: Conduct a similar search on Yahoo! Japan auctions, and you'll find 167 Mospeada items, versus 2,240 SDF Macross items. That's over 13 times more product than Mospeada! Incidentally, even Macross pales in comparison to Gundam: Search Google for 機動戦士ガンダム (Kidou Senshi Gandamu), and you get about 13,300,000 results. That's about 8 times more interest than in Macross. Similarly, you'll find over 39,000 MS Gundam listings on Yahoo! Japan auctions, nearly 18 times more product than Macross! The numbers don't lie. Gundam is Bandai's cash cow, Macross is a niche market, and Mospeada's barely a blip on the radar.

That's right... and all the Imai, Gakken, Aoshima and Toynami merchandise follow the official stats just as closely, meaning significantly undersized Legioss. Now, this is purely conjecture on my part, but I suspect officially-published dimensions may have been deliberately fudged for Imai's marketing purposes... so what could be sold as 1:48 scale merchandise would actually scale with all of Bandai's 1:55 product (especially the best-selling Macross Valkyries, the obvious antecedent to the Legioss). At any rate, your Pinky Space Crab is an actual 1:48 scale model, which means any licensed Legioss is gonna look a little small by comparison.

I got tired of waiting for that lavender bastard, so I made my own. The Defender's legs were exactly what I needed... everything above the waist is vintage Imai.

As has been addressed elsewhere, the official stats on Mospeada mecha are irreconcilable with onscreen evidence, model kit scales, or real-world physics. For example, all these Mospeada kit accessories are officially 1:72 scale: Note the standing pilot would be exactly six feet tall at 1:72 scale, but the sitting pilot is the size of a small child; Imai's undersized Armo-fighter cockpit required an undersized pilot. The stowed ride armor is designed to fit in the chest cavity of Wave's 1:72 Armo-soldier, but it's clearly way too small for a 1:72 figure to wear (much less ride)! Imai and Wave both produced 1:72 Legioss kits with accurate proportions, following the official published dimensions... and both are clearly much smaller than they'd actually have to be to accommodate a 1:72 pilot. If you increase the official stats by 50% -- 1.5x their existing dimensions, in other words -- you'll probably have more realistic measurements, and more consistent with their animated depictions as well.

^ Love it! Are those 1:72 Wave kit parts?

Proud parents.

I'd been meaning to pull my Toynami Alpha/Beta out of storage to get a couple action shots:

My Dremel is ready. Actually, the humans are even more impressive: Stig manages to leap from a stationary position on the ground... ...after ditching the ride armor, even...! ...and actually lands perfectly in the open Legioss cockpit. That's gotta be at least seven meters right there! I guess he forgot gravity on Earth is nearly three times stronger than on Mars. Come to think of it, a human born and raised on Mars wouldn't have the muscle mass to jump seven centimeters off the ground, much less seven meters...

Yes, I came to the same conclusion. It looks like the animators used the same paint for both... so I intend to do the same. I'm planning to use 1:6th scale doll parts for the ball-jointed shoulders and elbows, and hopefully I can find a close color match to avoid having to paint them. The other tan parts will be painted to match.

As I eagerly anticipate this build, I've been going through the Blu-rays and preparing color references for painting: Sorji's Gosu is heavily favored in earlier episodes, so I'll be doing a Queen Crab first. Since there's not much else available online, I'm sure some of you will find these images useful. While capturing these images, I caught a glimpse of superhuman agility: She leaps nearly five meters in the air to reach the pilot's seat!

Appreciate the update, sir. What color will the parts be cast in this time? By the way, I saw a similar 1:48 Gosu garage kit for sale at Wonder Festival 2017 last month: It's a little smaller, significantly cheaper, but clearly much lower quality than yours, Cap'n. Of course, had yours not been available, I'd have probably bought one of these... but it would've taken a lot more effort to make it acceptable for display in my collection!